Fruit-grader.



No. 730,412. i PATBNTBD JUNE 9,` 190s.

R. STRAIN.

FRUIT GRADER.

APPLIGATION FILED Ara. as. 1902.

l F0 MODEL.

WWA/5S 5 53.

w: Nnsws vains c6 k wmaumo.,wmumum n. c.

chine for that purpose which is adjustable to Noxiaola; f.'

UNITED STATES Iatented une 9, 190g.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEBLER VAND AUSTIN A. GAMBL FRUIT-.G

SPECIFICATION forming par@ of Letters E, oF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

RAD ER. iff

Patent No. 730,412, dated :fune 9, 1903.

Application filed April 28, 1902. Serial No. 106,116. l(No model.)

To all whom it may cow/cern,.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT STRAIN-a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Fullerton, in the county of Orange and State of 'California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Graders, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

My invention relates to that class of graders designed to assort fruits,vegetables, such as potatoes, and nuts into lot-s of different sizes;and the objects thereof are to provide a maa number of grades and whichwill prevent the fruit from bruising or being Crushed. I accomplishthese objects by the machine described herein and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which` Figure l is a perspective view of afragf ment of my machine arranged for grading oranges or lemons. Fig. 2is a cross-section.v

In the drawings my machine is designed as a double grader-thallia twograders arranged side by side on the same frame, one side Abeing aduplicate of the other side.

A represents the frame of the machine, on the top of which at one end ofthe machine, preferably at the upper end,-is transversely mounted thedriving-shaft B, carrying the driving-pulley C, by means of which motionis imparted thereto. When arranged asa double grader, on each end of thedrivingshaft is rigidly mounted driving bevel-gears D, which mesh withdriven bevel-gears E, rigidly mounted on the longitudinally-extendingdriven shafts F. On the drivingshaft is rigidly m'ounted therope-driving drum G, which imparts motion' to ropes H, which travel inthe direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1--that is, from head tothe foot thereof-in grooves I' in guide I, which forms one side of thefruit-runway. These ropes pass over pulley J at the lower end of themachine. A On the driven shafts F are rigidly mounted a number ofdrivingpulleys K, which drive belts L, that pass around thegrading-rollers M,which are revolubly mounted in adj usting-arms N,which have a longitudinal movement in guide-blocks O, afiixed to the topof the frame. To each of these ad-V justing-arms is afiixed a threadedbolt P,

which passes through two stop-blocks R, be-

i tween which is an adjusting-nut S ou bolt P in threaded contacttherewith, by the rota-lA tion of which the grade-rollersare movedtoward or from the guide. Aftixed to thetop ofrtheframe arebahd-tighteners to tighten the bands when the grade-rollers are movedaway from the guide. These band-tighteners in slotted uprights U, aixedto the frame. Below the grade-rollers are as many bins V as there aregrade-rollers, which are adapted to hold the fruit which will passbetween the grade-roller and the guide. In order to prevent the fruitfrom being bruised, in each bin is mounted an apron W, of strong cloth,the inner endof which' is higher than the outer, so that the fruit willroll to the outer end of the bin, where it has but a short distance tofall to reach the bottom of the bin. Each edge. of these aprons isfastened to a rope X, which passes over small pulleys Y, affixed to theside ofthe bin, and each end thereof has a weight ay to hold the aprontaut and to keep it in position. In the operation of my machine the rstroller, or that nearest to the shaft B, is adjusted so as to permit thesmallest grade of fruit to pass between the roller -and guide. The nextroller is adjusted for the next largergrade, and so on for eachsuccessive grade. In orangegrading there are'usually nine grades. Motionis imparted to the driving-shaft to cause ay rope Htc travel in a grooveI' in guide I in the direction indicated by the arrow. This causes thegrade-rollers to revolve, so thatthe top of. the roller travels awayfrom the guide. The fruit is fed into the runway'between the guide andthe-graderollers by any suitable device (not shown) in the usual manner.

It will be observed that as the grade-rollers are adjustable .thedistance between the roller and guide can be made small or large toadapt the machine to grading small nuts or fruits or large nuts or largefruits. It will also be observed that the ropes carry the fruit towardthe lower end of the machine and at the same time the grade-rollers arerevolving, so as to keep the fruit from sticking in the Vare formed of apulley T, adjustably mounted IDO runway, thereby avoiding any Itendencyto crush the most delicate fruit. It will also be observed that theinner end of the apron gives a soft yielding surface for the fruit tofall upon a short distance below the roller, thus preventing any dangerof its bruising. As the fruit rolls to the outer end of the apron itfalls onto the bottom of the bin, and as the end fills up the apron canbe moved toward the inner end of the bin, the Weights providing for suchadjustment. The fruit is p'aoked from the outer end of-tlie bin. Byhaving short grade-rollers separately adjustable very fine grading maybe done, and more than one roller may be adjusted to the same grade, ifdesired. If there should be a large quantity of the fruit of asinglefgrade intermixed with A a small quantity of fruit of differentgrades,

this feature is very desirable, as a number of bins may be filled withfruit of the same grade.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Pate nt, is-

l. In a fruit-grader in combination a plurality of independenttransversely-adjustable rotating rollers; a non-movable grooved guidelying parallel with the plane which passes vertically and longitudinallythrough the center of said rollers, said rollers and guide forming afruit-runway; a rope in the groove in said guide and means to move'saidrope.

2. In a fruit-grader having a bin means to break the fall of the fruitfrom the grading- Way comprising a yielding soft apron above the bottomof the bin and extending under the grading-way, said apron having theend thereof under the grading-way at a higher elevation than the otherend; the lower end extending to near the outer side of the bin.

3. In a fruit-grader, a grooved longitudinal guide; a rope in saidgroove; means to impart movement to said rope; one or more rollers lying parallel to said guide-revolubly mounted in arms transverselyadjustable; means to ad just said arms comprising a threaded boltpassing through two stop-bloeks; a nut on said bolt in threaded Contacttherewith between said stop-blocks; and means to revolve each of saidrollers eomprisinga belt passing around said roller and a pulley mountedon a shaft; and means to impart motion to said shaft.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname.

ROBERT STRAIN.

Vitnesses:

E. K. BEUCHLEY, G. E. HARPHAM.

